Organized by the African Confederation of Electronic Sports (ACDS) and the International Electronic Sports Federation (IESF), in partnership with the Royal Moroccan Federation of Electronic Games (FRMJE), these Championships will allow participants to secure a place at the World e-Sports Championships scheduled for Riyadh next November.
AEC24, as the first offline esports championship on the continent, marks a watershed moment, revealing the passion, talent and immense potential of African esports. This historic event offers a clear vision of the promising future of this discipline on the African continent.
The opening ceremony of these Championships, scheduled until August 21, was marked by the presentation of the competing African teams, to the rhythm of musical performances given by Moroccan and African artists under the sign of fraternity and friendship.
In his speech, the Secretary General of the International Electronic Sports Federation (IESF), Boban Totovski welcomed the holding of these championships in Morocco, saluting the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom in favor of the promotion of this sport, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
For his part, the president of FRMJE, Hicham El Khlifi noted that ”the organization of this sporting event in person, unlike other continents which favor a remote competition, is in line with the High Royal Guidelines in favor of promoting an active South-South partnership”.
Mr. El Khlifi, who also chairs the African Confederation of Electronic Sports, also welcomed the support given by the ministerial departments concerned to the promotion of this discipline which promotes the integration of young people and their rapprochement.
In a statement to the press, he highlighted the potential of electronic games whose revenues exceed certain areas of entertainment such as cinema. ”It is also in support of this observation that we decided to promote this sport through the creation of a Moroccan Federation and then an African Confederation bringing together 47 African countries,” he said.
Similarly, the executive director of the African Confederation of Electronic Sports, Soufiane Filali, stressed that “the organization of these Championships proves, if need be, that Morocco is capable of organizing sporting events of global scope”, before adding that Casablanca is now establishing itself as a true capital of African e-sport.
And to indicate that more than 20 athletes will defend the colors of Morocco during these Championships to win a place at the World e-sports Championships in Saudi Arabia next November.
The opening ceremony was closed by an exhibition match between the national team and a team made up of members of the African teams participating in these unprecedented Championships in Africa.
The programme includes a series of competitions that will see more than 180 athletes from 17 countries compete in five categories, namely CS2 Open, CS2 Women, MLBB Open, MLBB Women and PubG mobile.
By organizing this first pan-African competition, the African Confederation seeks to strengthen ties between African nations and highlight the power of the African e-sports community. Much more than a simple competition, this event is a celebration of African solidarity, innovation and the immense potential of e-sports in Africa.
The opening ceremony was marked by the presence of the governor of the Casablanca-Anfa district prefecture, Aziz Dadès, the vice-president of the Casablanca City Council, Abdellatif Ennassiri and the Director of Sports at the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Abderrazak El Akari, in addition to representatives of African delegations as well as various sports stakeholders.
2024-08-17 18:23:28